Page 16 of Don't You Dare Marry Me

That’s all the attraction was.

“I’m not sure anything happens next,” Nicola said, reaching for the shampoo. “We said this was a one-night revenge fuck. That’s all it is, right?”

“Right.” Abagail stepped back under the water while Nicola lathered her hair up. She pressed her hand between her legs andstarted to clean her labia and her body, but she couldn’t drag her gaze away from Nicola. Everything she did was a tease. “I already spoke with Cal, and he’s getting your car to a mechanic so it’s functional.”

“W-what?” Nicola stuttered, her entire body stilling. “Why would you do that?”

“Because you couldn’t get your engine to start last night.” Abagail squinted slightly, trying to figure out where she’d slipped up, but she couldn’t reason it out.

“When did you do that?” Nicola shook her head.

“While you were sleeping this morning.” Abagail took some of the shampoo and lathered her own hair up. “I figured it was the least I could do, since you’re short on cash.” Why had that small sneer ended up in her voice? Abagail hated that it did. She’d meant for this to be a nice thing for Nicola, not something to point out how poor she was.

“Uh… thanks, I guess. But I need cash, not my car fixed.”

Abagail stilled. Weren’t the two the same? “What do you need cash for if it’s not to fix your car?”

Nicola frowned and then moved to put herself under the water, effectively ending the conversation. Abagail took the soap and lathered up her body while she waited for Nicola to be finished. She had an entire day’s schedule to get started on, and it was going to be a long day at that. She had to set Ivy up to be gone and prepare for the upcoming divorce trial that she had finally gotten scheduled. And they needed to figure out once and for all what was happening at Ivy’s old place of work, the doctor’s office that really was the bane of Abagail’s existence.

“I don’t want your money,” Nicola said, wringing out her hair before she reached for the conditioner.

Abagail had a sharp retort on the tip of her tongue, but she stopped herself and instead went to rinse her hair and body. Nicola had practically begged her last night in the bar for cash,and she knew that she’d tried to coerce Warren into giving her money. There had to be a good explanation behind it, which Abagail really wanted to know now.

Wiping off her face, Abagail stared Nicola down hard. “You wanted it last night.”

“I was drunk last night,” Nicola mumbled and tried to step around Abagail in the shower, but Abagail stopped her.

“You weren’t drunk when you asked me for money. And you weren’t drunk when you asked Warren for it.”

“Yeah, well, he’s an ass.” Nicola frowned and then winced. “I’m sorry. I realize he’s your nephew, but after quitting my job for him and believing the promises he made, I figured he should pay me back something.”

“Pay you back?” Abagail kept her hand on Nicola’s arm tight. She didn’t want to elongate this conversation any more than it already was.

“It doesn’t matter. I don’t want or needyourmoney.”

“Then earn it.” Where the hell had that thought come from? Abagail was going to bury herself in the ground for this one, wasn’t she?

Nicola snorted and forced her way under the spray of water again. “No thanks!”

“No thanks?” Abagail mumbled. She hated being told no, especially when all she was trying to do was help when she didn’t have to. Didn’t people understand that she rarely did that? She wasn’t one to just give handouts, ever.

“I don’t take handouts.”

“It’s not a handout if you work for me.” Abagail frowned again and tried to talk herself out of this, but it wasn’t working. She squared her shoulders and put conditioner in her hair. She had to get dressed and ready for work soon. “And trust me, I don’t give handouts.”

Nicola crossed her arms and stared at her oddly. Abagail finished rinsing her hair and came to a stop, eyeing Nicola over. “What?”

“What would I be doing for you, exactly?”

“Well, you can work in my bar, since I know you have experience as a bartender and waitress.” Abagail bit the inside of her cheek. But if Nicola had been asking for that amount of cash and she needed it quickly, then the bar job wasn’t going to be enough.

“I’ll take it, but it won’t be enough.” Nicola sighed heavily.

“Then work for me.” Abagail stepped in closer, wrapping her arm around Nicola’s back and tugging her in closely. “I often have companions for several weeks, up to a month, so it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for you to join me for that length of time. It’d give you a roof over your head so you’re not sleeping in your car, and well…more of last night.”

“And this morning?” Nicola pressed her palm over Abagail’s breast, teasing her nipple with the side of her thumb. “Because I won’t lie and say that revenge fucking you was a mistake. It was delicious.”

Abagail chuckled at that, a smile playing at her lips. “It was good.”

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